Customer Reviews

The Ghosts of Berlin: Confronting German History in the Urban Landscape

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was on the short list of texts my German language/culture study abroad course required. As far as the architectural culture went, this book was all you needed to taste the essence of the capital. It was better than any guide book out there, especially relating the tulmultuous past with what you were seeing with your own eyes as an urban landscape.

Berlin is complex, historically and culturally - from its imperialist days to Hitler's capital to the scarred divided city just now seaming together. Germany is the embodiment of ambiguity - which is made abundantly evident by its very structures throughout the wide city. Brian Ladd's photography is unobtrusive and tasteful, illustrating his thoroughly researched work. He compares an old photograph to one taken recently by him to study, at one point, how unchanged some parts of the city have been in the midst of constant upheaval in the last century.

It is remarkable how entertaining the book is, as well as its vitality in its examination of Berlin. It was, quite simply, such a pleasure to read. The Ghosts of Berlin takes in the large picture, of a country uniting, political ideologies - past and present, and the significance of massive structures - standing and ruined. It also encompasses details in exquisite ordinariness, like street corners, department stores, and public transportation. All this is told in an appealing style that is accessible (so you don't need any background in Germany or Berlin), but not overly casual (Ladd is informed and comprehensive).

This is a brilliant book that looks at a remarkable city after the fall of the Berlin Wall and asks the question: How to come to terms with the monuments of the past? The Brandenburg Gate? Hitler's Bunker, etc. Should they be torn down, the stories they embody erased? Or should they stand as a legacy of German culture, however tainted it may be. A remarkable book about a remarkable city. Do read it.

Brian Ladd helps the reader to look at Berlin's many monuments and buildings from a critical point of view. He helps one realize that there is more to a city stone and cement. After reading this, you can never again look at any city, Berlin in particular, the same

I read The Ghosts of Berlin for a college course. When Americans say "this place has such a rich history," it brings a chuckle from me and is reinforced by books such as this.

The book focuses on the last 125 years or so of Berlin's extremely diverse and chaotic past. Ladd writes in a very detailed, yet concise manner. Berlin has had virtually every type of government known to man rule over it and an entire chapter is devoted to the most vital eras in the city's history; namely, the Imperial City from the late 19th century until the end of WWI, the Weimar republic in the '20s, Nazi Germany from 1933-1945, the divided city during the Cold War (with an entire separate chapter dedicated to the the Berlin Wall), and the capital of a reunified Germany. The focus is as much on the changing architectural styles as well as the social and political outlooks of the day. There is much symbolism in the buildings Ladd writes about and we get a great interpretation of what they mean. Ladd illustrates his work with some nice black and white photos, so we do not have to rely on his descriptions alone.

While this book isn't quite a tour book reagarding which restaurants to visit or tourist attractions to avoid, it is a great book to learn about one of the most prominent European cities. So why only four stars instead of five? Well, I did have a deadline to meet and had to rush through this book in about 2 days. Maybe I didn't appreciate as much as I should have.

'The Ghosts of Berlin' was a great overview of the urban history of Berlin. The main argument of the author is that German history is apparent in the urban landscape of Berlin. The book was easy to understand and had a lot of relevant photos and maps to show Berlin throughout the ages. A turnoff about this book for me was that Ladd was repetitive on some points and really drove home his opinions on the many roles the Berlin Wall served (a whole chapter doesnt seem like much on such an important subject, but most of the chapter seemed to repeat and restate the same information). However, in general the book provided a great start for researching the complex history of architecture, city planning, and urban spaces in Berlin. I chose to read this book as research for an architecture project I am designing in Berlin & it proved to be a very good decision. It is especially helpful if you have been to the city and have seen first hand some of the spaces he describes. I would recommend it to anyone with interest in Berlin, architecture, history, or urban design.

The location of the Stadtschloss is still in flux, but to understand what it was and thus part of what it will be as the Humboldtforum, read the digestible history in this book. Does a good job of introducing the history of Berlin in general but the book is absolutely valuable in its dual function as a history buff's city guide. Ghosts of Berlin points out the golden lights and the chilling darkness of the sites and structures of this pulsing, organic city of the present. In Berlin, as a theater kiosk advertised with an appropriately cheeky multi-valence of meaning, "Du bist Geschichte!"

This bok shows how great and brilliant is the glorious Berlin. You can understand everything about this city and about the modern world.
An amazing book, no doubt!

The Ghosts of Berlin is an awesomely comprehensive history of the built environment of Berlin. Intelligent without being snooty, in most cases, this is one of the best guides out there.

Having studied under Ladd at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, I can assure you that this book is excellent in every way. As a textbook, it is comparatively inexpensive and information-laden. As a casual read, it is detailed without being dry and tedious.

A must-have for anyone interested in the effect of design on history and society (and vice-versa).

I agree with the other reviewers who praise this book as a great combination of history and architectural guide. Even if you don't plan to visit Berlin, the book is excellent in showing how choices about monuments and architecture have larger symbolic value in expressing a culture, and for Berlin the question of what "culture" to express after World War II is especially fascinating. This book is especially valuable in conjunction with an actual visit to Berlin. I fortunately discovered it on Amazon during my time in Berlin and was able to download it to my Kindle. (I wish I had known about it beforehand, and I didn't see it in Berlin museum bookstores.)

This is a must-read book for anyone visiting Berlin, anyone with a strong interest in the city, or anyone interested in how choices about an urban landscape express the values of a culture.

Am reading The Ghosts of Berlin in anticipation of a trip there this coming summer. Great book for those interested in how the architecture of Berlin is the manifestation of the city's identity crisis. How does a city, its inhabitants, its government and the architects who design for it hide or reveal or inform their turbulent history and future hopes? This book provides an insightful view into the urban landscape of Berlin circa 1997: "German architecture and urban design cannot escape the crisis of German national identity...A building or monument might be able to display the wounds of Berlin's past, but it can do little to heal or even hide them."